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Carbon neutral building
Carbon neutral buildings are a sub-category of low-carbon buildings. Carbon neutral buildings are buildings which through a series of processes detailed in this article achieve net-zero GHG emissions during their lifetime. Buildings and Climate Change Buildings alone are responsible for 38% U.S. EPA. 2008. Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gases Emissions and Sinks: 1990-2006, p. ES8. of all human GHG emissions (20% residential, 18% commercial). It is the industrial sector which contributes the most to Climate Change. But according to the IPCC, it is also the sector which presents the most cost effective opportunities for GHG reductions IPCC. 2007. Climate Change 2007 Synthesis Report, p. 59.. What Are Carbon Neutral Buildings? Carbon neutral buildings are buildings which are specifically engineered to release no GHG at all or to balance the GHG emissions they produce using GHG trades. Carbon Neutral Buildings Technology Buildings release GHG in the atmosphere during: * Construction (incl. renovation and deconstruction) * Operation Construction GHG emissions associated with buildings construction are mainly coming from: # Materials manufacturing (e.g., concrete) # Materials transport # Demolition wastes transport # Demolition wastes treatment The construction, renovation, and deconstruction of a typical building are on average responsible for the emissions of 1,000-1,500 kgCO2e/m2 (around 500 kgCO2e/m2 for construction only). Strategies adopted by carbon-neutral buildings to reduce GHG emissions during construction include: # Reduce quantity of materials used # Select materials with low emissions factors associated (e.g., recycled materials) # Select materials suppliers as close as possible from the construction site to reduce transport distances # Divert demolition wastes to recycling instead of landfills or incineration Operation GHG emissions associated with buildings operation are mainly coming from: # Electricity consumption # Consumption of fossil fuels on-site for the production of electricity, hot water, heat, etc. # On-site waste water treatment # On-site solid wastes treatment # Industrial processes housed in the buildings Fossil fuels include for example: natural gas, propane, etc. Depending on the region where the building is located and the building energy mix, operation emissions can typically vary from 0 to over 100 kgCO2e/m2 per year. Strategies adopted by carbon-neutral buildings to reduce GHG emissions during operation include: # Reduce energy consumption # Use 100% renewable energy sources Renewable energy sources include: # Solar # Wind # Low-impact hydro # Biofuels (under certain conditions) # Geothermal # Wave and tidal Indirect GHG reductions (GHG Trades) There are three main sources of indirect GHG reductions available for buildings: # Green power # Carbon offsets # GHG reductions from the selling to the grid of clean electricity produced on-site These GHG reductions can be used by buildings Owners to offset the emissions which can not be reduced otherwise. Note: Buildings emissions should always be reported in GHG inventories prior to and independent of any indirect GHG reductions. GHG emissions trades should be reported separately in a different section of GHG inventories. For this reason, it is recommended to reduce buildings emissions by adopting the strategies listed in previous paragraphs rather than using GHG emissions trades. Low-Carbon Buildings Today Carbon-neutral buildings, as part of “green buildings”, are developing very rapidly. Recent examples include: * Aldo Leopold Foundation Headquarters, Fairfield (WI) * Kroon Hall, Yale University’s School of Forestry & Environmental Studies * Sustainable Energy Technology Center, The University of Nottingham, NingBo (China) Existing Carbon Neutral Buildings Standards The Low-Carbon Buildings Standard TM 2010, Construction, Operation, Reporting ‘’A Method for Estimating Buildings Lifetime GHG Emissions and Emissions Reduction Performance’’ See also low-carbon building Low-energy house Carbon neutrality Green building Zero-energy building Passive house References Category:Sustainable building